IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Riverside has eliminated all fines for overdue materials borrowed from the city’s public library.
The change, approved by the city council on Jan. 17, applies to adults and juveniles and covers all books, audiobooks, CDs and DVDs made available by the Riverside Public Library System, according to a statement on the city’s website.
The council’s vote came one month after the library’s board of trustees approved doing away with fines.
“This decision eliminates the possibility that a Riverside child could see his or her library privileges revoked over a fine of a few dollars,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in the statement. “The ability for our residents to use the library for a job search or a homework assignment is worth more than these small fines.”
Fines were 25 cents per day for adults and 10 cents per day for juveniles. Cardholders with a balance greater than $5.00 lost their check-out and computer privileges.,
The move is expected to cost Riverside about $5,000 in revenue during the next two fiscal years, but some of that will be offset by staff members not having to spend time pursuing fines, according to the statement.
